Eastern Virginia, Virginia travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Eastern Virginia is an often-visited area of Virginia, bordered on the west by the Fall Line, and on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. It is best known for its beaches and colonial history.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 34°F. Wettest: Jul and Aug.

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
PHF Newport News Williamsburg International Airport, Newport News — 5 mi away. Directions
ORF Norfolk International Airport, Norfolk — 27 mi away (major hub). Directions

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Deltaville — Deltaville Maritime Museum and Holly Point Nature Park, Get out on the water and enjoy beautiful skies and views, Sailing lessons.
Day 2: Westmoreland County — George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Stratford Hall Historic Preserve, Westmoreland State Park.
Day 3: Hampton Roads — explore the town.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Places in Eastern Virginia

Deltaville

City / town · 23 listings

Westmoreland County

Region · 7 listings

Hampton Roads

Region · 2 listings

Eastern Shore

Region

Understand

Eastern Virginia was the first part of the state to be settled, beginning with Jamestown in 1607. The region is home to Virginia's historic triangle, which includes Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown, site of the decisive battle of the American Revolution.

Eastern Virginia contains several of Virginia's largest cities and most-visited tourist attractions. Besides the historic parks listed above, Virginia Beach, Busch Gardens, and the museums in Hampton and Newport News draw large crowds.

Regions

Eastern Virginia is mainly comprised of peninsulas - three divided by rivers on the mainland, and the Eastern Shore, which is separated from the rest of the state by the Chesapeake Bay.

Northern Neck

Historically, a wealthy region with owners of tobacco farms and enslaved people. Today, a rural area that attracts people with its parks and historical sites.

Middle Peninsula

A rural region known for farms and fishing.

Virginia Peninsula

One of the first areas in North America to be settled by Europeans. Well-known for its many historic sites, such as Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown.

Hampton Roads

The main metropolitan region includes Virginia Beach, a well-known vacation destination, Norfolk, home of the largest naval base in the world, and Carrollton, a bedroom community of Norfolk.

Eastern Shore

A long peninsula on the Atlantic coast, extending southward from Maryland. Includes Chincoteague, known for its wild horses that roam the beach.

Cities

Cape Charles (town)
Colonial Beach (town)
Gloucester (Gloucester Courthouse article covers Gloucester County)
Hampton
Newport News
Norfolk
Virginia Beach
Williamsburg

Other destinations

Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Colonial Williamsburg - the "living history museum" in the historic district of the town of Williamsburg that recreates Virginia's 18th-century capital as it appeared preceding and during the American Revolution.

Get in

Norfolk International Airport (ORF)
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF)
Amtrak services Williamsburg, Newport News and Norfolk
Interstate 95 from the north or south
Interstate 64 from the west

Get around

Interstate 95 borders the region, running north and south.
Interstate 64 runs through the area east and west.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel connects the Eastern Shore to the rest of the state.

See

Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum recreating the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
Yorktown Battlefield, site of the surrender of General Cornwallis, marking the end of the American Revolution.
Tobacco Plantations, along the James River on John Tyler Highway (VA 5).
Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton
Mariner's Museum, Newport News
Virginia Marine Science Museum, Virginia Beach

Do

Virginia Beach
Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. The beer company's original theme park.
Chincoteague Oyster Festival Held in October, a ticket gets you all-you-can eat oysters and other seafood done in a variety of ways.

Eat

Chesapeake Bay Crabs While not as iconic as their Maryland cousins, they're from the same body of water. Buy a bushel and make a meal of it with some fresh local corn and tomatoes.
Peanuts and Pork, Surrey and Smithfield. Just a ferry ride away from Williamsburg, you can find a town that celebrates its local favorites with dishes like Peanut Soup. Peanuts also feed the local pigs, qualifying them for 'Smithfield Ham' status.
White sauce is served in some Tex-Mex restaurants, especially around Virginia Beach. It's a flavored mayonnaise- or sour cream-based dip.